The Lantern Theater Company is streaming Bruce’s Graham’s play The Craftsman through March 28. Anthony Lawton is a craftsman in the truest sense. In Act I, he aptly portrays the wealthy, smug, brash art dealer accused of selling Vermeer’s, considered national treasures, to the Nazis. In Act II he demonstrates that he is also an artist with considerable talent, defying noted art critic Abraham Bredius, portrayed by Paul L. Nolan. Ian Merril Peakes portrays a Dutch leader of the resistance who hates the opulent Han van Meegeren for becoming rich while dealing with the Nazis. Graham does not portray one dimensional characters. The Craftsman is a fascinating group of character studies that reflect the after-effects of World War II in Amsterdam and the six-member ensemble cast does an excellent job of fleshing out each individual. Bruce Graham’s work is a brilliant portrayal of the damage that hate can do to the psyche, the high value that we place on art in our culture, and the lengths a person might go to fulfill an innate craving for recognition. For more information or tickets for this thought-provoking work, visit www.lanterntheater.org.
